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Publication by Laboratoire de physique in Physical Review X on June 22, 2020. Abstract Active matter, composed of self-propelled entities, forms a wide class of out-of-equilibrium systems that display striking collective behaviors, among which, the so-called active turbulence where spatially and time-disordered flow patterns spontaneously arise in a variety of active systems.

A small amount of molten rock located under tectonic plates encourages them to move. This is what scientists from the Laboratoire de géologie de Lyon: Terre, planètes et environnement (CNRS/ENS de Lyon/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1) have recently discovered. Their new model takes into account not only the velocity of seismic waves but also the way in which they are attenuated by the medium they pass through.

While tracing the movement of Escherichia coli, a team of French researchers noticed that near solid surfaces, the bacteria run in circles. Loop after loop, the tracing almost looks like an Olympic figure skating rink before the Zamboni irons the sheet of ice smooth. Breaking down E. coli's routine step by step, the scientists identified a signature move-surface tumbling.

On April 10, 2020, ANR announced the funding of 86 projects concerning Covid-19. Six are associated with ENS de Lyon laboratories. The SARS-CoV-2 infection is a global emergency for human health. The interferon response is the body's first barrier to defending viral infections. This host response is initiated by the recognition of viral elements by receptor and leads to the production of molecules, including interferon, that alert surrounding cells.

A new comprehension of Mars is emerging based on the first year of NASA's InSight mission. Results described in a set of six papers published today, five and one in Nature Communications , reveal a living planet that is the scene of earthquakes, dust devils and strange magnetic impulses.

The Marie Sk?odowska-Curie actions support researchers at all stages of their careers, regardless of age and nationality. Researchers working across all disciplines are eligible for funding. The MSCA also support cooperation between industry and academia and innovative training to enhance employability and career development.

Publication by Laboratoire de Physique in Physical Review Letters on December 23, 2019. Pattern formation, observed experimentally in a radio-frequency plasma in annular geometry, and characterized by azimuthal symmetry breaking of the plasma parameters, is reported. The azimuthal modulation increases with increasing pressure in the range 1-300 Pa.

The 'AI Chairs' aim to offer researchers substantial resources to build a team and carry out an ambitious project whose visible impact is expected. A multi-year program of 40 Chairs in Artificial Intelligence is one of the measures under this research component, which was presented on November 2018 by the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and the Secretary of State for Digital Technology.

In a multicellular organism, gene expression regulation allows cells to live, divide and ensure their proper physiological role. The molecular nature of this process (e.g. low molecule number, Brownian movements..) involves random variations. Indeed, with the same genetic background, two neighbor cells do not express their genes in the same way.

Publication by IGFL on October 22, 2019. Drosophila larvae spend most of their short lives gorging on rotting fruit. In their 'spare time' these intriguing animals also display phases of intense physical exercise. They are capable of an astonishing array of complex locomotor behaviours such as crawling at different speeds, crawling backwards, performing sharp turns, head sweeps and pauses.

Natural transformation (i.e., the uptake of DNA and its stable integration in the chromosome) is a major mechanism of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria. Although the vast majority of bacterial genomes carry the genes involved in natural transformation, close relatives of naturally transformable species often appear not competent for natural transformation.

Publication by Laboratoire de géologie de Lyon in Scientific Reports on October 17, 2019. Communication from CNRS info. Though our understanding of the anatomy of the earliest animals is growing ever more precise, we know next to nothing about their behaviour. Did group behaviour arise recently or is it primeval?

Publication by Laboratoire de physique in Physical Review Letters on August 30, 2019. We report the first quantitative measurements of the resonance frequencies of a torus of fluid confined in a horizontal Hele-Shaw cell. By using the unwetting property of a metal liquid, we are able to generate a stable torus of fluid with an arbitrary aspect ratio.

Publication by the International Center for Infectiology Research (CIRI) on May 8, 2019. Hepatitis D virus (HDV) was discovered 40 years ago in the liver of individuals chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), a liver-specific human pathogen that provides its surface GPs to induce envelopment and secretion of HDV RNPs as well as transmission to other cells via HBV cell entry factors.

Publication by Laboratoire de chimie on July 17, 2019. The kinetic stability of any material in water relies on the presence of surface weak spots responsible for chemical weathering by hydrolysis. Being able to identify the atomistic nature of these sites and the first steps of transformation is therefore critical to master the decomposition processes.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most frequent hereditary systemic autoinflammatory syndrome. FMF is usually caused by bi-allelic mutations in the MEFV gene, encoding Pyrin. Conclusive genetic evidence lacks for about 30% of patients diagnosed with clinical FMF. Pyrin is an inflammasome sensor maintained inactive by two kinases (PKN1/2).

Abstract: Walled cells of plants, fungi, and bacteria come with a large range of shapes and sizes, which are ultimately dictated by the mechanics of their cell wall. This stiff and thin polymeric layer encases the plasma membrane and protects the cells mechanically by opposing large turgor pressure derived mechanical stresses.

Publication from the Laboratoire Reproduction et développement des plantes (RDP) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS) on January 23, 2019. Abstract:  Morphogenesis often yields organs with robust size and shapes, whereas cell growth and deformation feature significant spatiotemporal variability.

By studying the movement of runners at the start of marathons, researchers from the Laboratoire de physique (CNRS/ENS de Lyon/UCBL) have just shown that the collective movements of these crowds can be described as liquid flows. Their results, published in Science on January 4, 2019, have enabled them to predict how fluctuations in speed and density are transmitted through massive crowds.

Infectious diseases, the main causes of human mortality according to the WHO, have always been a particular concern for society. In a context of global change, the fight against infectious diseases remains a major challenge for the future and especially for Dominique Pontier and François-Loïc Cosset, researchers at the Université de Lyon.